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Minnesota Vikings vs. New Orleans Saints: PFM Team Comparison

The Minnesota Vikings hold a clear overall advantage over the New Orleans Saints in the current PFM ratings. Minnesota separates itself through the stronger defense and the stronger coaching operation.

Current PFM Team Scores

Clear edgeMIN

Minnesota Vikings

79.5PFM Team Score#15 NFL
NO

New Orleans Saints

73.0PFM Team Score#30 NFL
WEEK 5 MATCHUP Sunday, Oct. 11 1:00 PM ET
View on NFL Schedule
PFM CALL Locks October 11th at 1:00 PM EDT

Who wins Minnesota Vikings vs. New Orleans Saints?

Week 5 matchup
AwayMIN4-0
HomeNO1-3

Pick the winner.

Choose your Call
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PFM JUDGMENT

Why PFM Rates the Minnesota Vikings Higher

The Minnesota Vikings have the more dependable defense. It does not need the offense to answer every possession to keep control of a game. New Orleans' strongest counterargument is Offense. Neither offense gives its team a dependable base. The New Orleans Saints have the smaller problem.

Minnesota also brings the stronger coaching operation. Minnesota adds the deeper roster. The Minnesota Vikings still deserves the higher PFM rating.

TEAM DNA COMPARISON

Minnesota vs. New Orleans Across the Core Pillars

The farther a team reaches, the stronger the rating. Each category also calls out which team has the edge and the exact gap. Hover on desktop or tap on mobile to isolate one team.

MINMinnesota Vikings
NONew Orleans Saints
Minnesota Vikings vs. New Orleans Saints Team DNA comparisonPFM category scores on a 0 to 100 scale. QB Stability: Minnesota Vikings 75.4, New Orleans Saints 76.8, edge NO +1.4; Offense: Minnesota Vikings 71.9, New Orleans Saints 74.5, edge NO +2.6; Defense: Minnesota Vikings 83.6, New Orleans Saints 68.2, edge MIN +15.4; Coaching Direction: Minnesota Vikings 82.7, New Orleans Saints 75.8, edge MIN +6.9; Roster Depth: Minnesota Vikings 79.1, New Orleans Saints 73.5, edge MIN +5.6. Hover on desktop or tap on mobile to isolate one team at a time.
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THE COUNTERARGUMENT

New Orleans Saints’ Best Argument

The New Orleans Saints have the better offensive grade, although the unit still needs too much help from the rest of the team. That is why the overall gap is smaller than the score first suggests. Minnesota still answers with the stronger defense and the stronger coaching operation, which keeps the overall judgment in place.

COMPLETE COMPARISON

Where Each Team Has the Edge

PFM Team Score

MIN79.5
Minnesota Vikings 79.5
NO73.0
New Orleans Saints 73.0
Clear Minnesota Vikings edge

Overall NFL Rank

MIN#15
Minnesota Vikings #15
NO#30
New Orleans Saints #30
Minnesota Vikings ranks higher

QB Stability

MIN75.4
Minnesota Vikings 75.4
NO76.8
New Orleans Saints 76.8
Slight New Orleans Saints edge

Roster Strength

MIN79.1
Minnesota Vikings 79.1
NO73.5
New Orleans Saints 73.5
Clear Minnesota Vikings edge

Coaching Direction

MIN82.7
Minnesota Vikings 82.7
NO75.8
New Orleans Saints 75.8
Clear Minnesota Vikings edge

Recent Performance

MIN86.8
Minnesota Vikings 86.8
NO69.8
New Orleans Saints 69.8
Major Minnesota Vikings edge

Offense

MIN71.9
Minnesota Vikings 71.9
NO74.5
New Orleans Saints 74.5
Clear New Orleans Saints edge

Defense

MIN83.6
Minnesota Vikings 83.6
NO68.2
New Orleans Saints 68.2
Major Minnesota Vikings edge

Franchise Direction

MIN76.8
Minnesota Vikings 76.8
NO69.4
New Orleans Saints 69.4
Clear Minnesota Vikings edge

Explosiveness

MIN72.1
Minnesota Vikings 72.1
NO68.1
New Orleans Saints 68.1
Clear Minnesota Vikings edge

Conference Rank

MIN#7
Minnesota Vikings #7
NO#16
New Orleans Saints #16
Minnesota Vikings ranks higher

Division Rank

MIN#3
Minnesota Vikings #3
NO#4
New Orleans Saints #4
Minnesota Vikings ranks higher

Outlook

MINIn the Playoff MixNOPlayoff Long Shot
Stronger outlook: Minnesota Vikings
SCHEDULE CONTEXT

Which Team Has the Tougher Road?

Minnesota Vikings

Remaining schedule rank: #15

Toughest stretch: Buffalo Bills, Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers

Strongest opponents: San Francisco 49ers, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears

Next five difficulty: 79.1

View Minnesota Vikings Road Ahead

New Orleans Saints

Remaining schedule rank: #30

Toughest stretch: Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Green Bay Packers

Strongest opponents: Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Minnesota Vikings

Next five difficulty: 75.8

View New Orleans Saints Road Ahead

Minnesota has the tougher Road Ahead at No. 15. The strongest opponents include San Francisco 49ers, Buffalo Bills, and Chicago Bears. New Orleans gains one meaningful schedule advantage, while Minnesota still owns the stronger football advantages elsewhere.

View the complete all-32 Road Ahead

Ratings and Schedule Freshness

PFM ratings updated October 6, 2026. Schedule data updated October 6, 2026.

How to Read This Comparison

PFM Team Score determines the overall order. The Team DNA comparison puts five core pillars on the same 0–100 scale, while the full rows show every current category.

PFM compares overall team strength rather than predicting one matchup. Road Ahead adds schedule context without changing PFM Team Score.

See the complete PFM NFL Team Rankings and methodology.

PFM ratings updated
How PFM grades NFL teams